Means for applying protective battens to drums for cables and the like



April 22, 1958 w. J. KEEBLE 2,831,299

MEANS FOR "APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS T0 DRUMS FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1956 INVENTOR 4mm mm ATTORNEY A ril 22,1958 w. J. KEEBLE 2,831,299

MEANS FOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS T0 DRUMS-FOR CABLES AND THE LIKEFiled Jan. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WmMJr/m M321 0M A TTORNE) lViEANSFOR APPLYING PROTECTIVE BATTENS TO DRUMS FOR CABLES AND THE LIKE WilliamJohn Keeble, New Malden, England Application January 31, 1956, SerialNo. 562,563

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 1, 1955 5 Claims.(Cl. 53-27) For the purpose of protecting electrical cables, flexiblepipes and the like wound upon drums it is a common practice to enclosethe space between the end flanges of the drums by means of narrowbattens arranged edge to edge and axially across the flanges. Thebattens are commonly of timber and they are usually secured in positionby nailing into the edges of the flanges of the drums.

Nailing of the battens has disadvantages in that both the batten and thedrum flanges have a comparatively short life due to the introduction andremoval of nails each time the drum is loaded or unloaded and theremoval of the nailed battens is laborious and often accompanied by riskof damage to the wound cable or other material carried on the drum.

Attempts have been made to avoid the need for nailing by applying stripsof tensioned and jointed wire or steel strapping about a set of battensenclosing the periphery of the drum but this has given rise to theproblem of applying and retaining the complete set of battens againstthe drum before the steel wire or strapping is applied.

The present invention consists in means enabling a set of battens to beapplied and held against the edges of drum flanges as a preliminary tofastening the battens in position, e. g. by means of steel wire orstrapping.

The means according to the invention comprises an elastic band suitableto be applied as an endless band about the drum, and a spindle carryinga pair of rollers capable of rolling engagement with the peripheraledges of the drum flanges with the part of the spindle between therollers inside the endless band so that the latter may be maintainedunder tension.

In the preferred arrangement a pulley is provided on the spindle andbetween the rollers for engagement with the inside of the endless band,the pulley and the rollers being rotatable relative to one another.

An apparatus according to the invention and its manner of use areillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 illustrates a cable drum of conventional form with protectivebattens applied between the flanges thereof, the battens being retainedin position by two bands of steel strapping, the latter being applied,tensioned and jointed in a manner Well known in the art of packag- 111g;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the commencement of theoperation of applying a set of battens to a drum;

Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section showing the final stages in theoperation of applying the set of battens to the drum;

Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section of the upper part of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view of one form of the elastic band for application aboutthe drum.

The elastic band 1 shown in Fig. 5 comprises a number of strands 2 ofrubber elastic provided at its ends with strap extensions 3 of leatherwith a buckle 4 to enable States Patent U the ends to be connected.Alternatively a length of rubber tubing or a flattened metal spring,with suitable end connections may be used.

On a spindle 5 of a length greater than the width of the largest drum tobe dealt with, are mounted two rollers 6 On the spindle 5 between therollers 6 is mounted a pulley 9 for rolling engagement with the insideof the band 1 when in use. The pulley 9 is free for 'rotationron thespindle 5 between adjustable locating collars 19 and it is preferablyprovided with shallow edge flanges 10 to ietain the band on the pulley.

Conveniently, the drum to receive the battens is mounted on a centralspindle 11 suitably supported, as by jacks 12 so that the drum may berotated.

The band 1 is placed about the drum and the spindle 5 placed in positionacross the top of the drum and beneath the upper part of the band 1 andwith the grooved rollers 6 resting upon the edges of the drum flanges 8,and the strap ends of the band are connected to tension the band aboutthe drum and the pulley 9 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A batten 13 usually a strip of timber, may now passed through the gap 14formed between the edges of the flanges 8 and the inside of the band 1close to the pulley 9, and placed with its ends resting on the edgs ofthe flanges 8. The inserted batten 13 is then thrust along the flanges 8into a position with one of its edges in engagement with the elasticband. The rollers 6 are now rolled by pulling upon the spindle 5 or therollers 6 themselves, a short distance along the edges of the flanges 8of the drum with consequent movement of the gap 14 within the bandrelative to the previously applied batten 13 so that the batten 13 isnow held in position on the drum flanges by the band 1. A further batten15 (Fig. 2) is now inserted through the gap 14 and placed in edge-toedgeengagement with the first batten 13.

The rollers 6 are again moved in the same direction on the edges of thedrum flanges 8 and a further batten introduced and so on, and as thesteps are repeated and the drum is rotated step by step about the axisspindle 11, the elastic band 1 moves into position over or outside asuccession of applied battens to retain them in position on the drumflanges as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is continued until an almost complete set of battens is inpositions and held by the elastic band 1 and the rollers 6 meet the edgeof the first applied batten 13 (Fig. 3). The rollers 6 are now caused toride-up on to the batten 13 and the last batten or battens are appliedin position to complete the set, these being held in position on thedrum by gravity.

Steel wire or strips of steel strapping 16 may now be applied about thecomplete set of battens and jointed, in the manner indicated in Fig. 1,and the elastic band 1 and the spindle 5 and the parts carried. therebyremoved for further use.

In some cases it is desirable to fix the first batten 13 in position onthe drum by nailing to the flanges 8 as indicated in Fig. l.

Timber battens as used on cable drums are often of considerablethickness, e. g. one or several inches.

The riding-up of the rollers 6 on to the first batten 13 as apreliminary to the application of the last batten or battens intoposition involves, if thick battens are being used, some small increasein the tension of the band 1.

To facilitate this riding-up movement, the edges of the Patented Apr.22, 1958 w rollers 6 are provided with circumferentially distributedaxial notches 17 such that a notch or notches on each of the rollerswill engage over the edge of the first applied batten 13 in such amanner that a fulcrum is provided as shown in'Fig. 3, enabling easytransfer of the rollers 6 on tothe outer surfaceof the batten 13.

The battens when applied to drums in a manner making use of theapparatus according to the present invention, may with advantage beformed with end rebates as shown in Fig. 2 providing shoulders 18engaging the inner sides of the ends of the drum to provide ct. cndwiselocation of the battens.

Whilst in the example described and illustrated the drum is mounted forstep-by-step rotation about a supporting spindle, it will be understoodthat the batten applying operation can also be carried out by rollingthe drum upon the ground.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for retaining protective battens applied across theperipheral edges of the flanges of a filled cable drum, comprising anendless elastic band enveloping the body of cable wound on the drum, aspindle extending across the peripheries of the drum flanges andengaging the inside of the band and stretching the band radially of thedrum, and a pair of rollers on said spindle and in rolling engagementwith the peripheral edges of the drum flanges.

2. Apparatus for retaining protectitve battens applied across theperipheral edges of the flanges of a filled cable drum comprising anendless elastic band enveloping the body of cable wound on the drum, aspindle extending across the peripheries of the drum flanges andengaging l the inside of the band and stretching the band radially ofthe drum, a pair of rollers on said spindle and in rolling engagementwith the peripheral edges of the drum flanges, and a pulley on saidspindle supporting the elastic band passing over the spindle, saidrollers and said pulley being mounted upon said spindle for relativerotation.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rollers are provided withcircumferential grooves of V-section for guided engagement with theperipheral edges of the flanges of the drum.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rollers are provided withaxially directed notches in their peripheral edges.

5. A method of applying protective battens across the peripheral edgesof the flanges of a filled cable drum, which consists in enveloping thebody of cable wound on the drum with an endless elastic band, stretchingthe elastic band ata point in the length thereof to provide an axiallydirected gap inside said band at said point and outside the peripheraledges of the flanges of the drum, introducing a batten through said gapto a position bridging said peripheral edges, manipulating said elasticband to cause said gap to move step-by-step around the body of woundcable and applying a succession of further battens through said gap andin edge-to-edge engagement with said first mentioned batten and with oneanother, and applying a tcnsioned banding strip about said battens tohold them on said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS636,524 Ham Nov. 7, 1899

